Q: How do next gen metropolitan area fiber networks evolve?
Anyone care to comment on the following set of views?
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Synopsis - Raj Shanmugaraj, CEO Astral Point Communications
September 29, 1999
RED HERRING VENTURE MARKET EAST, CAMBRIDGE, Mass.
Next-Generation Carriers Need Mesh Networks
Next-generation carriers build
their networks as they acquire
customers on a "Just-in-Time"
basis. The result is that
metropolitan fiber topologies in
new carriers tend toward
natural meshes. The result is
the ring topology that has
become the norm under
SONET is an impediment to the
" Just-in-Time" business
models needed by
next-generation carriers.
New Services are Changing
the Traffic Patterns
New services are going to add
traffic patterns that requires a
more even distribution of
bandwidth around the metro
area and add LAN transmission
rate services. Transparent LAN
service will require the evenly
spread model of bandwidth
distribution. The
next-generation carrier
environment will demand an
inter-office transmission
system that is a more agile
manager of bandwidth than
SONET today-and one that
works well with LAN-rate as
well as traditional digital
telephony services.
Bandwidth Drivers
In the metropolitan inter-office
environment, the business
model of the next-generation
carriers combined with the
proliferation of
Internet-centric services is
placing a strain on the SONET
based metropolitan inter-office
transmission networks
currently in place. About 70
percent of the SONET rings
operate at OC12-or-less line
rates. These networks do not
have the throughput to handle
the new demands for
bandwidth.
Attributes Of Next-Generation
Network Elements
The new business models
favor networks that support
mesh topologies,
Internet-centric services, fine
grain bandwidth distribution,
and the expected bandwidth
scalability.
New network elements are
needed that support
protection and restoration
capability in a mesh optical
topology. This must also work
in rings for the purpose of
overlaying existing SONET fiber
topology and for service
providers that are more
acclimated to ring operation.
Bandwidth scalability and the
ability to overlay existing
SONET rings can be
accomplished through the use
of DWDM to provide the
following benefits:
-- ITU Channel Wavelengths
can be added to existing fibers
without disturbing the
standard SONET 1310
nanometer signal
-- Multiple ITU Channels can
be utilized on a single fiber for
bandwidth scalability
The network service
environment would have to
support multiple service types:
-- Leased line
-- ATM
-- Packet/LAN
This would result in a
compact, space and power
saving package amenable to
co-location facility needs. The
business models of
next-generation carriers
require increased topology
flexibility, and the new
services require increased
flexibility over traditional
SONET architectures. There is
no end in sight to the need to
scale bandwidth, and
next-generation carriers need
to rely on new switching
architectures being introduced
to help them meet their
business objectives.
SOURCE Astral Point
Communications
/CONTACT: Bill Mitchell, VP
Marketing of Astral Point
Communications,
978-256-9984, ext. 103/
[Copyright 1999, PR Newswire |
